After discussions that ran overtime by about an hour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Barack Obama decided to take the India-U.S. relationship “to the next level,” saying the “true potential of the relationship has yet to be realised.”
Mr. Modi, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said: “My discussions have confirmed for me that India and the U.S. are natural global partners.”
Mr. Obama said he was impressed with Mr. Modi’s interest in not only addressing poverty in India and revitalising the economy there but also his determination that India helped bring about peace and security in the world.
“I want to wish him luck in what I’m sure will be a challenging but always interesting tenure as Prime Minister in India,” the President said. In the joint statement, while India did not accede to the U.S. request to join the international coalition against ISIS, the two sides agreed on several ways to enhance cooperation on terror.
